Helping
HandsJuanita H. shares this activity that
encourages children to show kindness to others.

Materials: Cut out of hands.

Description: Tell children that when you
catch them doing something kind such assharing, helping someone clean up, etc.
that you will write their name and what they did on a hand cut out and
put it on the wall. Tell them you're going to see how far around the room
it will go.

Comments: I find that the children deliberately
do acts of kindness so they canget a hand.

There are many community helping hands in
the picture book;Friends at Work and Play
by Rochelle Bunnett

Friendship FlagEncourage creativity and promote friendship
during this activity by Jenn J.

Description: Trace each child's hand on different
colored construction paper andencourage children to cut out their own
hand print. If the child is too young, thencut it out for them. Write the child's
name in the hand print and have the child decorate. On large paper
draw a circle in center. Write the name of your center andthe date in the middle. When the children's
hands are dry, glue them along the outside of the circle.Comments: This is a great activity for September's
new enrollees.

Cooking:
"Friendship Fruit Salad"Youngsters can notice similarities and differences
in fruit while making new friendsduring this early childhood education activity
by Kimberly G.

Materials: Variety of fruit (each child brings
one fruit),TableclothMixing bowlMixing spoonBowlsSpoons or forksNapkinsSugarPlastic knives for children or knife (teacher
use only).

Description:1. Ask the children to bring
their piece of fruit to circle time.2. Each child holds his or her
fruit, describes it and places it on the tablecloth in the middle
of the circle so that the children can look at the fruit and make comparisons.3. Discuss the similarities
and differences of the fruit.4. Show the children how to
cut each fruit properly and safely. Put fruits into a large mixing
bowl and stir fruit together. Allow each child a chance to mix the fruit. Add
sugar and stir that in also, if all the children want sugar added.5. Serve and enjoy your fruit
salad for a snack and talk about how everyone worked together
to make the salad.

Note: When doing this with older children
allow them to cut their fruit.

Description: Our activities are to familiarize
children with our classroomand school. We make hand prints for our
helper chart, introduce ourdress up chest, provide opportunities for the
children to practice taking turns andworking together and focus on shapes,
letters, numbers, and colors.

1. Visit all classrooms and become acquainted
with each other. 2. Discuss friendship and for art do an
friendship mural. 3. Discuss our likes and differences. 4. Introduce learning centers and talk about
classroom rules.

"Boo
Boo Bear"This activity by Amy C. encourages
the concept of helping others along with somesimple fine motor skills (this activity
is also in the My Body Theme).

Description: Cut teddy bear shapes from the
brown paper and eyes, noses andmouths from the black and pink paper. Draw
dots on the bears where each facial feature will be placed.

Give each child a bear shape, two eyes, a
nose and a mouth and go through gluingthe features on together. Talk about
where our (or the bear's) eyes, nose andmouth are. Show the children where
the dots are and talk about where the features belong, but allow them to
put their bear's face together how they choose. Place bears aside to dry.

At circle time give each child their bear
and a Band Aid. Encourage the children to discuss how they feel when
they fall and get a "boo-boo". Talk about the things they can do for their
friends when they fall. Then tell the children their bears fell and hurt
themselves and ask them what they can do for their bears.

Let them decide where their bear's boo-boo
is and place the Band Aid on it. Encourage them to console their bear.

Comments: I use this activity with both a
toddler group and a 3 year old group.I hang the bears on the wall at the children's
eye level and we refer to them often when handling a situation where the
children are not being very good friends. It is a good way to bring
back that lesson's theme whenever it is needed.

Description: Draw the side view of
a head, emphasizing the mouth. Select "helpers" or give each child an egg
and a bowl. Have them break the egg, letting the insides fall into
their bowls. After they have all done this, talk to them about what
hurts their feelings, and have them give you words they don't like to hear
or be called. Write these words as if the mouth were speaking them.

Then tell each child that its time to clean
up and they must put the insides of their eggs back into their shells.
When they realize they can't do this, have a discussion about how we cannot
always put things back where they came from, and the same is true with
our hurtful words. Lots of different materials can be used to teach this
value lesson, such as toothpaste tubes, crayons on paper, etc.

Comments: Children learn and adults can be
reminded to be careful of the thingsthey say.

Materials: Fabric remnants cut into squares,
fabric paint and someone who can sew.

Description: Ask each child to decorate a
fabric square with their hand print andname, and anything else they can think of.
Ask a volunteer sew it together and display it on the wall of your classroom.

1,2,3 Good FriendsImprovise a tune to this easy friendship
counting song by Jennifer.

1,2,3 good friends4,5,6 good friends7,8,9 good friends10 good friends are we!

String Of FriendsStephanie
D. uses her ability to cut paper doll to teach young children about
friendship, self awareness and verbal skills.

Materials:
A string of 3-5 paper dolls for each child and crayons.

Description:
Give each child a string of paper dolls. Allow the children to draw
faces on each one, representing their friends. Have the children
describe who the people are in their string.

Circle
Time: Fishing For Class InformationHelp preschoolers learn about their classmates
with this activity by Ruth C.

Description: Teachers cut out 8 fish patterns
from poster board and laminated them. I wrote questions on them such as,
"What is your favorite food" "Do you have younger brother and sisters"
"Do you have older brothers and sisters" "What is your favorite TV show"
"What is your favorite book" " Do you have a pet" etc. and place a magnet
on each fish.I then attach the yarn to the magnet and
attach these to the dowel and allow the children to fish, one at a time,
during circle and get to know each other.

Introduction This is the way Criss
helps kids learn each others names and talk to each other.

Materials: Something
like an old hand held mirror frame to look through.

Description: Improvise
a tune singing the song:

Look through
the window who do I see, (child's name) .(Child's name) looking
back at me. How do you do?
How are you today? (Child's name) do
you want to play?

The child then tells me
if they want to play or what activity they want to do at free play.

Comments: The children
like using the mirror and they are able to control circle time with little
direction from an adult. Each child knows he will get a turn.

The Wheels On The BusSuzan G. helps youngsters recognize
each other with this activity.

Materials: Pre cut large school bus and individual
pictures of each child.

Description: Precut a large school
bus. One for each child in the class. At the beginning of the school year
take each child's picture. After developing the film cut each picture to
fit onto each of the school buses.In a group activity rehearse the song "The
Wheels On The Bus". Then show the school buses with the pictures. As you
show each picture let that child (the one with the picture you are
now showing) decide what they want to do on the bus. For example:

Suzan on the bus goes open and shut, Open and shut, open and shut,Suzan on the bus goes open and shut,All through the town.

This activity is great at the beginning of the
school year. This helps the children get to know one another and be a little
silly as they choose a verse in the song.

Super
Friend GlassesTeresa R. teaches
children social skills through positive praise when she catches a child
being a Super Friend.

Description: Teachers
trace or draw a simple outline of a pair of glasses. Cut them out and write
on the top of them Super
Friend.
Decorate anyway you wish. Then cover with clear contact paper (optional).
Glue or tape a craft stick on for a handle. Then, throughout the week go
around to different activities observing through your Super
Friend Glasses. When you observe a child
being a super friend. Reward them with Positive Encouragement.Comments: All my classes
have enjoyed this activity.

Description:
Make a stuffed pillow person out of remnants of material and stuffing.
Place the pillow in the quiet area. When children are upset and angry,
they can hug the pillow or punch it, and release their anger. It's
better than punching their friends!

Description: Cut generic
"gingerbread" shapes from poster board (one for each child). Have children
decorate the cut-out figures, using a variety of materials, to resemble
themselves. When the children are finished with the cut-outs, place each
figure on a wall or bulletin board so that the figures are holding hands.
Above the display, you can post the word "FRIENDS". Write each child's
name under his or her figure.

"Friendship
Garden"Develop social skills,
kindness, creativity and critical thinking with this early childhood activity
by Amy.

Materials: Large piece
of paper, construction paper, scissors,markers, crayons or paint and glue.

Description: During
the spring months when we start to garden discuss the many kinds of gardens.
To emphasize kindness and friendship make your own garden, a friendship
garden. Talk about helping one another and being kind.

On a large piece of
paper, I use blue to look like the sky, or have the children paint it.
Ask the children to make their own flowers.Trace the child's
hands, 2 of each hand, to use as the petals. Trace the child's
feet, 1 each. Use as the leaves. Provide a stem and a circle
for the center of the flower.

I make my own so the
children will know what the flower can look like and show them real flowers,
sunflowers work well. Ask each child to color or paint their pieces and
have them glue the pieces to the large paper. As the theme develops
we added grass, caterpillars, butterflies, etc.

Comments: This idea
was inspired by a Disney book, Winnie the Pooh called the Friendship
Garden. I work with young 3's so I trace the hands and use the
scissors. Older children can cut out on their own. It's
a fun activity and the children enjoy finding their flowers.

Politeness
Or MannersAngie S. uses this early childhood
activity to teach preschool children about using their manners and being
polite.

Materials:Empty coffee can that the children help
decorate with construction paper, yarn, etc.

Description:Cut hole in top of coffee can. Make "coins"
out of constructionpaper. Or you can use real coins just make sure
that the money is out of reach. Anytime you catch a child being good, using
manners, being polite, give them a coin to place in the can. At the end
of the month you can buy them special treats with the coins that they have
saved up.

Web
of FriendsPreschool children four years old and older
will enjoy this activity by T.C. who says, "This is a good back
to school activity, it allows children to get to know one another".

Materials: Yarn, thick in size.

Description: Allow children to sit in a circle
or seat in chairs. The teacher usually starts it off and introduces
herself and something about her or what she likes. She then takes
the yarn wraps it around her once or twice and gives it to the next child.
The next child says his or her name and so on. The child then wraps
it around and the web continues. The teacher then explains that we,
as friends, all have to work together to un-web our circle.

Comments: Children should not wrap yarn too
tight and more than once or twice.

Be A FriendPaula R. shares
this activity saying, "It helps children think of waysto be kind. They
love it!"

Description: This song
is sung to the tune of
Jingle Bells and goes like this:

Be a friend,
be a friend, be a friend today.Tell me one thing
you can do to be a friend today.

Then you select a child
to tell you how they can be a friend. Just make sure you have enough time
to let everyone have a turn, because, I have found this is such a fun song
everyone wants a turn.